This isn't just about taxes. The proposal presented by Tim Geithner included increased taxes of $1.6 trillion, NEW SPENDING on pet democrat projects, minor unspecified upfront spending cuts, and a promise to talk about spending cuts in the future with no guarantees.

He absolutely refuses to make a serious proposal with specific, real spending cuts. He challenges Republicans to set their mark with specifcs, apparently thinking that Republicans won't remember the last time they took him up on such an offer (with the Ryan budget) and got nothing but demagoguery in return.

The guy is not a leader and our country will suffer for it. But at least no one has to worry about whether Sandra Fluke will get her post-coitus birth control.

Apparently you are forgetting Obama made the "grand compromise" before and the repubs wouldn't budge. They should have taken the deal then instead of kicking the can. Now they have no choice on the tax increases so the only thing to really compromise on is where are the cuts going to happen? I expect some small cuts in Social Security on the areas that have no impact on end people, like some of the payouts to drug companies. The dems will ask for some military cuts. The only discussion on the table is spending cuts and they'll have to meet in the middle there and that might not happen until after the new year.